Bottle carrier crate



C. E. CHAMBERLIN BOTTLE CARRIER CRATE Oct. 6, 1959 2,907,509

' Filed Feb. 27, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 sh/+ M M fig. INVENTOR.

3: BY MWW#M.

1959 c. E. CHAMBERLIN 2,907,509

BOTTLE CARRIER CRATE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1956 INVENTOR.C'fia/Zd 5W O 3 4? 3 I J z O Q I d V 44 Oct. 6, 1959 c. E. CHAMBERLIN2,907,509

BOTTLE CARRIER CRATE Filed Feb. 27, 1956- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 0 F6 F7 g45 43 24) i \Z/ ii i 43 M1 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O BOTTLE CARRIER CRATE Charles E. Chamber-lip,Chattanooga, Tenn, assignor to Container Corporation of America,Chicago, III., a corporation of Delaware Application February 27, 1956,Serial No. 567,854

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-'15) This invention relates to crates for handlingand carrying bottled products such as soft drinks and the like.

his common practice to sell bottled products, such as soft drinks, incase or crate lots of twenty-four bottles each. The crates for handlingand carrying the bottles are usually formed of wood, are rather heavyand expensive, and are subject to splitting and breakage under the roughtreatment which they receive.

My invention is directed to a bottle carrier crate formed of paperboard,which is of rugged construction and well able to withstand the roughtreatment which it receives in use. The crate of my invention may beproduced at comparatively small cost and comprises interior dividersproviding a plurality of open topped compartments, and wall panelsassociated with such dividers, the elements of the crate being securedtogether so as to be mutually reinforcing and provide desirable rigidityas well as exceptional strength. The crate is provided with a top wallhaving therein circular openings respectively centered with the open topcompartments, which are square in plan, the circular openings being ofappreciably less diameter than the width of the compartments and such asto snugly receive the bottles and effectively restrain them againstdisplacement from the compartment when a loaded crate is carried by oneend wall, as is the common practice. The crate of my invention is alsoprovided with a bottom wall having drainage openings and openings forreceiving the caps on the upper ends of bottles for stacking the crates,the drainage openings overlying the stacking openings and being of lessextent than the latter, whereby loaded crates may readily be stacked andwhen stacked are restrained against relative movement or displacement bythe capped upper ends or tops of the bottles. Further objects andadvantages of my invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a carrier crate embodying my invention,the top wall of the crate being partly broken away;

Figure 2 is an end view of the carrier crate of Figure 1, with theouterend wall panel partly broken away;

Figure 3 is an underneath view of the carrier crate of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 1showing the lower portion of an upper crate, in section, seated on theupper ends of bottles, indicated in dot and dash lines, in the lowercrate;

, 2,901,509 Patented Oct; 6, 1959 Figure 9 is a face view, on the, samescale as Figure 8, of one of the transverse dividers of the crate.

The crate comprises a box-like body portion 10 and a box-like coverportion 11 telescoped over the body portion, the interior of the latterbeing divided into open top compartments square in plan formed byinterengaging dividers within the body portion, the dividers beingsecured to the body portion and to the cover portion and the latterbeing secured to the body portion. The body portion 10 and the coverportion 11 are each formed from a one-piece paperboard blank formed fromhard or solid paperboard of substantial thickness suitably treated in aknown manner to be rendered moisture resistant.

The body portion 10 is formed from the blank shown in Figure 6, whichblank is cut from sheet paperboard and is suitably scored to provide anend wall panel 12 having at its midportion a hand hole 13, two side wallpanels 14 and 15 integrally attached to the ends of the end wall panel12 along fold lines 16 and 17, respectively, an end wall panel 18integrally attached to the end of panel 15 remote from panel 12 along afold line 19 and provided at its midportion with a hand hole 20, anouter bottom wall panel 21 integrally connected to the lower edge ofpanel 14 along a fold line 22, an inner bottom wall panel 23 integrallyconnected to the lower edge of panel 12 along a fold line24, a secondouter bottom wall panel 25 integrally connected to the lower edge ofpanel 15 along a fold line 26, and a second inner bottom wall panel 27integrally connected to the lower edge of panel 18 along a fold line 28.The end wall panels 12 and 18 are of elongated rectangular or oblongshape and are of equal length, as are the side wall panels 14 and 15,which are of substantially greater length than the end wall panels. Theinner bottom wall panels 23 and 27 are of rectangular shape and areoifset a short distance inwardly from the ends of the respective endwall panels 12 and 18, the length of each of the panels 23 and 27 beingonehalf that of the side wall panels 14 and 15 so that in the completedcarrier the inner edges of panels 23 and 27 are disposed in abuttingrelation. The outer bottom wall panels 21 and 25 are also offsetinwardly a short distance from each end of the corresponding side wallpanels 14 V and 15 and are of oblong shape and of a width equal toone-half that of the inner bottom wall panels 23 and 27 so that when theblank is set up into body form the inner edges of the panels 21 and 25are disposed in abutting relation.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure1;

Figure 6 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, of the blank from which thebody portion of the carrier crate is formed;

Figure 7 is a plan view, also on a reduced scale, of

portion of the crate is The lower corners of the end wall panel 12 andthe side wall panel 15 are cut 01f at an inclination or bevel, as is thelower corner of panel 14 adjacent fold line 16 and the lower corner ofpanel 18 adjacent fold line 19; for a purpose to be explained later.

Each of the outer bottom panels 21 and 25 is provided with a pluralityof circular openings 31 arranged in two rows lengthwise thereof, eachrow containing six openings uniformly spaced apart and the rows beingparallel with the side wall panels 14 and 15. Each of the inner bottomWall panels 23 and 27 is provided with a plurality of circular openings32 arranged in rows lengthwise thereof parallel with the side edges ofthe panels with the rows spaced apart transversely of panels 23 and 27the same as the openings 31 of the panels 21 and 25. In setting up theblank of Figure 6 to produce the body portion 10 of the crate, the endwall panels 12 and 18 and the side wall panels 14 and 15 are folded intoboxlike form about the fold lines 16, 17 and 19 with the inner bottomwall panels 23 and 27 overlying the outer bottom wall panels 21 and 25and the free end of end wall panel 18 abutting the free end of side wallpanel 14. Preliminary to such folding operation the underfaces of theinner bottom wall panels 23 and 27 and the upperfaces of the outerbottom wall panels 21 and 25 are coated with a suitable adhesive and,during the folding operation the panels 23 and 27 may be raised slightlyso as to be held out of contact with the panels 21 and 25. Uponcompletion of the folding operation thepanels 23 and 27 are held inpressure contact with the panels 21 and 25 until the adhesive has set.That completes the body portion 10, in which the drainage openings 32 inthe inner bottom panels 23 and 27 are disposed in concentric overlyingrelation to the openings 31 in the outer bottom panels 21 and 25, asshown moreclearly in Figures 3 to S, inclusive, from which it will benoted that the openings 31 are of substantially greater diameter thanthe openings 32, for a purpose to be described later. It will further benoted that in the setup body portion the cutaway lower corners of theside and end wall panels provide drainage openings 33 at each of thelower corners of the body portion -10.

- The interior of body portion 10 is divided into twentyfourcompartments 35, shown more clearly in Figures 1, 4 and 5, byinterengaging transverse and lengthwise dividers 36 and 37,respectively, which may be formed of double faced corrugated paperboard.The transverse dividers 36 are provided with appropriately spaced slots38 extending from their upper edges, which receive the upper portions ofthe lengthwise dividers 37 provided with slots 39 extending from theirlower edges and receiving the lower portions of dividers 36. Thelengthwise dividers 37 fit snugly between the end wall panels 12 and 18of body portion 10 to which they are adhesively secured as indicated bythe stippling in Figure 5, and the transverse dividers 36 fit snuglybetween the side wall panels 14 and 15, to which they are adhesivelysecured as indicated by the stippling in Figure 4. Further, the loweredges of all of the dividers are adhesively secured to the inner bottomwall panels 23 and 27, as indicated by the stippling in Figures 4 and 5.The dividers 36 and 37 are mutually reinforcing, due to theirinterengagement, and

' together provide a grill work adhesively secured to the.

bottom wall and the side and end walls of the body portion which impartssubstantial strength and rigidity thereto. The cover portion 11 of thecrate is produced from the blank shown in Figure 7 formed from the samematerial as the blank of the body portion 16 and suitably cut and scoredto providea top 'wall panel 40, side wall panels 4-1 integrallyconnected at their upper edges to the side edges of top Wall panel 40along fold lines 42, inner end wall half panels 43 integrally connectedalong fold lines 44 to the ends of panels dil, and outer end wall panels45 integrally connected at their upper edges to the ends of top wallpanel 40 along fold lines 46. Each of the outer end wall panels 45'isprovided at its midportion with a hand hole 47 and each of the inner endwall half panels 43 is provided with a slot 4-8 extending from its innerend and corresponding to one-half of the hand hole 47, it beingunderstood that the length or transverse extent of each of the panels 43is equal to'one-half the length or transverse extent of thecorresponding outer end wall panel 45. The corners of the top wall panel40 and the upper corners of the side wall panels 41 and the inner endWall half panels 43 and the outer end wall panels 45 are cut away, asshown, to facilitate folding of the blank, as is understood. The widthand length of the top wall panel 40 are the same as the exterior widthand length of the setup body portion 10 and the height of the side wallpanels 41 and the inner half wall end panels 43-and the outer end wallpanels 45 is approximately the same as the height of the correspondingwall panels of the body portion 10, so that the top wall panel 45 of thecover portion will seat upon the upper edges of the end and side wallsof the body portion and, also, upon the upper edges of the dividers 36and 37 which are of the same height as the interior height of the bodyportion. The top wall panel 40 of the cover portion blank is providedwith twenty-four circular openings 49 disposed to overlie the respectivecompartments 35 of. body portion 10 in centered relation thereto,asiwill. appear more fully presently.

In order to complete the crate, the upper edges of the side and endwalls and dividers of the assembled body portion, and the outer faces ofthe end and side walls thereof, are coated with a suitable adhesive. Theinner faces of the side and end wall panels of the cover portion blankmay also be coated with a suitable adhesive, after which the top wallpanel 44 is positioned upon the body portion of the crate, the side wallpanels 41 are folded downward into pressure contact with the side wallpanels 14- and 15 of the body portion, the inner end wall half panels 43of the cover portion are folded inward into contact with the end wallpanels 12 and 18 of the body portion and the outer end wall panels 45 ofthe cover portion are folded downward and inward into pressure contactwith the half panels 4-3, the top wall panel 40 and the side wall panelsand end wall inner half panels and outer panels being held in pressurecontact with the dividers and the corresponding panels of the bodyportion until the adhesive has set. The side and end wall panels of thecover portion are thus secured throughout their extent to the side andend wall panels of the body portion and the cover panel 40 of the coverportion is adhesively secured to the dividers effectively reinforcingthe grill structure thereof and imparting exceptional strength andrigidity to the carrier crate. When the complete crate is assembled asabove, the slots 48 in the inner end wall half panels 43 of the coverportion register with hand holes 47 in the outer end wall panels 45 andwith the hand holes 13 and 20 in the end wall panels 12 and 18 of thebody portion, providing at each end of the crate a hand hole forcarrying purposes. It will be noted that each end wall of the cratecomprises three plies or thicknesses of paperboard, which is of adequatemechanical strength to sustain the load to which it is subjected.

As above stated, the circular openings 49 in top panel 40 of the covermember or portion 11 are centered with the respective compartments 35 ofthe crate. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that thediameter of the respective openings 49 is appreciably less than thewidth of the respective compartments 35. Soft drinks and similarproducts are commonly placed in bottles of standard sizes and diameters.The openings 49 are of such diameter as to receive snugly the bottlesfor which the crate is constructed. Due to the fact that the respectiveopenings 49 are of materially less diameter than the width of therespective compartments 35, the top panel 40 projects inwardly anappreciable distance beyond the dividers'3i6 and 37 of the compartment.Accordingly, whenthe crate is carried by an end wall thereof, the

bottles will tilt slightly downward so as to be gripped by the panel 40about the openings 49 and thereby held against dislodgment, therebyassuring that the bottles will be retained within the crate duringcarrying thereof. Bottles used for the purpose stated are also closed bycrimp caps of standard size secured on the upper ends thereof. Referringto Figure 4, I have shown, in dot and dash lines, bottles B mounted in alower crate and having closure caps c secured upon their upper ends. Thecaps c are of standard size and the openings 31 in the outer bottompanels 21 and 25 of the body portion' 10 are of proper size to snuglyreceive the caps c. As previously noted, the openings 31 are centeredwith the respective compartments 35 of the crate and are of considerablygreater diameter than the openings 32 in the inner bottom Wall panels 23and 27. Accordingly, the upper crate is supported upon the caps of thebottles in the lower crate in vertical alignment with the latter and isrestrained thereby against displacement. The crate of my invention iswell suited for stacking, when loaded, and cooperates with the bottlesin the next subjacent crate to guard against slippage or displacement ofthe stacked crates. carried, in the main at least, by the bottles in thecrates,

the load as they may be subjected to.

The load of the stacked crates is It will be understood that changes indetail may be resorted to without departing from the field and scope ofmy invention, and I intend to include all such variations, as fallwithin the scope of the appended claims, in this application in whichthe preferred form only of my invention has been disclosed.

I claim:

1. In a paperboard bottle carrier crate, a body portion rectangular inplan formed from a one-piece paperboard blank and comprising a bottomwall and rigid end and side wall panels extending upward from saidbottom wall, said end wall panels being respectively provided with ahand hole at the midportion thereof; a cover portion formed from aone-piece paperboard blank and comprising a top wall and rigid end andside wall panels extending downward therefrom, rigid end wall halfpanels attached to the ends of said side wall panels and underlying andadhesively secured to said end wall panels, said end wall panels beingrespectively provided with a hand hole at the midportion thereof andsaid half panels having slots extending from their inner ends togetherdefining hand holes substantially in register with said hand holes-ofsaid end wall panels,'said end wall panels and half panels togetherproviding end walls of two thicknesses of paperboard; said cover portionend walls and side wall panels extending downward along and beingadhesively secured to the outer faces of said body portion end wall andside wall panels providing therewith end walls of three thicknesses ofpaperboard with the hand holes of said cover portion end walls inregister with the hand holes of'said body portion end wall panel handholes and side walls of two thicknesses of paperboard; and apaperboardreinforcing grill fitting within said crate extending from said bottomWall to said top wall and contacting said end and side walls, said grillcomprising interengaging dividers secured together and defining aplurality of compartments underlying and extending downward from saidtop wall, the latter being adhesively secured to the upper edges of saiddividers and the lower edges of said dividers being adhesively securedto said bottom wall,the side and end edges of said dividers beingadhesively secured to said side and end walls, said grill providing arigid interior reinforcing structure imparting substantial strength andrigidity to said crate, said top wall being provided with bottlereceiving openings respectively overlying and of less extent than saidcompartments, the portion of said top wall extending about therespective openings therein being reinforced by the portions of saiddividers defining the corresponding compartment.-

2. In a paperboard bottle carrier crate, a body portion rectangular inplan formed from a one-piece paperboard blank and comprising a bottomwall and rigid end and side wall panels extending upward from saidbottom wall, said end wall panels being respectively provided with ahand hole at the midportion thereof; a cover portion formed from aone-piece paperboard blank and comprising a top wall and rigid end andside wall panels extending downward therefrom, rigid end wall, halfpanels attached to the ends of said side wall panels and underlying andadhesively secured to said" end wall panels, said end wall panels beingrespectively provided with a hand hole at the midportion thereof andsaid half panels having slots extending from their inner ends togetherdefining hand holes substantially in register with fi id hand holes ofsaid end wall panels, said end wall panels and half panels togetherproviding end walls of two thicknesses of paperboard; said cover portionend walls and side wall panels extending downward along and beingadhesively secured to the outer faces of said body portion end wall andside wall panels providing therewith end walls of three thicknesses ofpaperboard with the hand holes of said cover portion end walls inregister with the hand holes of said body portion end wall panel handholes and side walls of two thicknesses of paperboard; and a paperboardreinforcing grill fitting within said crate extending from said bottomwall to said top wall and contacting said end and side walls, said grillcomprising interengag-ing dividers secured together and defining aplurality of compartments underlying and extending downward from saidtop wall, the latter being adhesively secured to the upper edges of saiddividers, said grill providing a rigid interior reinforcing structureimparting substantial strength and rigidity to said crate, said top wallbeing provided with bottle receiving openings respectively overlying andof less extent than said compartments, the portion of said top wallextending about the respective openings therein being reinforced by theportions of said dividers defining the corresponding compartment.

3, In a paperboard bottle carrier crate, a body portion rectangular inplan formed from a one-piece paperboard blank and comprising a bottomwall and rigid end and side wall panels extending upward from saidbottom wall, a cover portion formed from a one-piece paperboard blankand comprising a top wall and rigid end and side wall panels extendingdownward therefrom along and adhesively secured to said body portion endand side wall panels providing therewith rigid end and side walls ofmultiple thicknesses of paperboard, said end wall panels of said bodyportion and said end wall panels of said cover portionbeing providedwith registering hand holes, and a paperboard reinforcing grill fittingwithin said crate extending from said bottom wall to said top wall andcontacting said end and side walls, said grill comprising interengagingdividers secured together and defining a plurality of compartmentsunderlying and extending downward from said top wall, the latter beingadhesively secured to the upper edges of said dividers, said grillproviding a rigid interior reinforcing structure imparting substantialstrength and rigidity to said crate, said top wall being provided withbottle receiving openings respectively overlying and of less extent thansaid compartments, the portion of said top wall extending about therespective openings therein being reinforced by the portions of saiddividers defining the corresponding compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,311,047 Cole July 22, 1919 1,826,104 Van Cleaf Oct. 6, 1931 1,904,0727 Nelson et al Apr. 18, 1933 1,962,492 Fallert June 12, 1934 1,984,609Walker et al. Dec. 18, 1934 2,475,924 Suiter July 12, 1949 2,583,672Storey Ian. 29, 1952 2,626,725 Stevenson Ian. 27, 1953 2,706,935 VPasjack Apr. 26, 1955

